Friday, July 27, 2012

What is a good example of an allusion?

I am not sure whether you are interested in an allusion in "Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night" or are interested in allusion generally. As I read the poem, I see no allusions, although there are many other literary devices.


However, it is easy to create your own allusions. They can be references to books, movies, songs, or art. Here are some of my examples:


This sea voyage is not going well.  There must be a Jonah on board. 


This is an allusion to the Bible story of Jonah and the whale.


This responsibility is too much for me.  I feel as though I have an albatross around my neck


This is an allusion to a great poem, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,' by Coleridge in which the albatross is hung around the neck of the man who shot it, as a punishment.


That man is a cheap Scrooge. 


This is an allusion to Dickens' famous character in The Christmas Carol."


Climbing into this cave, I feel like I am looking for the Lost Ark.


This is an allusion to the first Indiana Jones movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark.


Not only are there thousands of allusions in literature and in movies, we use them frequently in our everyday lives. See if you can come up with some, too! 

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